Our PreSchool Blog

The letter O makes the /o/ sound, as in octopus.  The short o sound is most commonly found in three letter words, such as hot, top and lot.  Today, the boys and girls brainstormed some letter O words while stringing their very own letter O’s using Fruit Loops.  It was a tasty  way to practice the /o/ sound!

Writing our name is a skill that we, as adults, use every day.  The children have been working hard all year to form their letters correctly and in the right order.  Today, the boys and girls continued to practice forming the correct letters when they used white crayon to write their name, and then paint over it with water color. Instantly, the children could see their name in white appear through the paint!

Did you know that the rainforest is comprised of four separate layers?  Each layer plays an important role and is home to specific animals.  The boys and girls learned about the rainforest floor, understory, canopy and emergent layer.  The children built a model demonstrating each layer, along with the animals that live there.

As we move further into March, the boys and girls have been working hard on their new letters: O, C and Q.  Today, we focused on the O and C.  Using playdough, the children rolled out and molded their playdough to create the letters O and C.  While practicing the sounds, the children came up with words, such as ostrich, octopus and ocelot that begin with the /o/ sound.  The words cat, cut, car and coffee were used to describe the /c/ sound.

Spring is just around the corner, so what better way to usher in the new season than with a refreshing drink!  The boys and girls did a nice job slicing the lemons and adding all of the ingredients.  They even helped press the buttons on the blender!  The recipe below yields 4 cups.

Ingredients:

2 limes

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

3 cups water

ice

Directions:

Wash limes thoroughly.  Cut off the ends and slice into 8 wedges.  Place limes and all ingredients into blender.  Blend, and then strain out rinds.

Improving our fine motor skills is always an ongoing process.  Today, the children put those skills to work while cutting zig zag lines.  We are working on holding the paper in such a way that it helps guide the scissors along the lines.  The boys and girls did a fantastic job!

The number eleven is a tough number for children to recognize.  There is nothing in the word itself that hints towards the two ones that make up the number.  The number twelve is similar.  Today, the children practiced the numbers eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen.  The boys and girls traced each number while identifying it.  They then used glitter glue to write each number.

As we wrap up our month in the Great Barrier Reef, the boys and girls practiced their ABAB patterning skills with Ms. Lori.  The children had the opportunity to choose which fish they wanted to make a pattern with, then they laid out their pattern before sticking them on.  What a fun way to practice our patterning skills!

The children were at it again as we poured and stirred our way into salad dressing!  This easy recipe makes a yummy dip for veggies or can be used for salad.          Creamy Feta Dressing & Dip (yields 1.5 cups):

–5 oz. feta cheese

-1/4 cup milk or buttermilk

-1/2 cup sour cream

-1/2 cup mayonaise

-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

-1 teaspoon of chopped, fresh dill (1/4 tsp. dried)

-1 teaspoon dried oregano

-salt and pepper to taste

Mash the feta and milk together until you get the consistency of cottage cheese.  Next, add the remaining ingredients and blend well.  Let sit, covered, in the refrigerator to blend  flavors.

Touching on social studies, the boys and girls created their very own Australian flag! The blue represents vigilance, truth and loyalty.  The white stands for peace and honesty.  The red stands for bravery and strength.  The boys and girls did an excellent job creating these works of art!